Urban sprawl is not a new geographic phenomenon, but it continues to expand and bring about consequences today. The growth of suburbs on the outskirts of cities represents the extension of an urbanized territory onto a rural one. These expansions are characterized, among other things, by individual houses, transport routes designed for cars as well as large paved parking spaces. [1]
These new residential developments cause many social, environmental and economic problems. Negative effects include an increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions linked to transportation, air-quality deterioration, heavier traffic which greatly affects the health of the inhabitants, and loss of forests and wetlands.[2]
Many urban planners, architects and thinkers are examining this growing geographical phenomenon in order to counter it. It is becoming evident that to tackle the urban sprawl problem, we must rethink our cities, but above all, densify them. So how can we make cities more dense, sustainable, and viable?
Our urban environments have never been so lively, thus increasing the need for space, which is becoming limited. The maximum capacities of urban infrastructures of some communities seem to have been reached. What can be done? The solution reveals itself when looking at any aerial images of downtown areas: roofs! Indeed, building roofs represent 15% to 35% of their total area of their structure, which is a huge underused surface that is available to us[3].